How a Former Pastor Lives in Another World

8

Praise Prayer

(Recommended BGM: Though I May Fight with Demons)

After the emergence of Catholicism, which added the New Testament to the faith of the Old Testament alone held by Judaism, the church’s denominations split into countless branches.

Among them, Protestantism, which can be considered the largest denomination, also divided within, notably into the Methodist, Baptist, and Anglican churches.

Among these, the largest denomination that firmly holds Asia is the Pentecostal Church.

Its history is just over a hundred years short, but the fullness of the Holy Spirit they emphasize has captivated many believers.

True to its young history, it is not bound by formality or precedent, and sermons are flexible and secular rather than stodgy, leaving much of the prayer form undefined.

It’s characterized by the so-called loud prayer, tailored to one’s taste.

The most representative of these is the Praise Prayer.

4K TVs are mounted at intervals on the hanging mount, and the bass-dedicated subwoofer delivers a booming sound.

As the pastor recites in rhythm, all the congregants raise their voices together, creating a synergy with the unique mass singing culture, the Spirit-filled blood hymn of praise!

“Rejoice! The Savior has come! Let all the people welcome Him!”

“All the church arise! Praise Him!”

“Praise Him! Praise, oh praise Him!”

“The Lord of grace and truth reigns over all!”

“Let all nations bow before the Soteria!”

“Bow down! Bow, oh bow down!”

“Though you may fight with demons, brethren free from sin!”

“Fight boldly against the evil enemy ranks!”

“On the day of judgment and doom, it stands before your eyes~”

“The time is soon coming!”

“Glory, glory to Estella!”

“Glory, glory to Estella!”

“Glory, glory to Estella!”

“Soon we will triumph!”

In the hustle of pastoral activities, a hymn prayer from the spare moments is absolutely essential!

It’s considered a miraculous cost-performance to fill 45 minutes of an average hour-and-a-half service with just hymns.

And the clergy witnessing this couldn’t hide their amazement.

And rightly so.

Prayer in this era means sitting in the cathedral, devoutly reciting prayers in a gentle voice.

Of course, there are many times when the devout lose control of their volume, but they certainly don’t shout their prayers like a rowdy song.

A hymn during prayer?

There are instances of choirs singing hymns before a sermon, but a prayer mixed with hymns was unheard of.

The clergy of the Solar Church were not just surprised by this.

“These hymns… where did they come from? I’ve never heard them before.”

“Could it be… that they were written by Deacon Ray?”

Brand new hymns, never heard before.

“‘Joyful is the coming of the Savior’ is truly astonishing. It speaks of the rightful duty to welcome and worship Soltera, who descends to earth.”

“And what about ‘We shall fight the devils’? It speaks of the struggle and steadfast will of those who stand against the evils of the world. The unbreakable purity of faith is within these hymns!”

The history of hymns spans two thousand years.

Out of these, the best of the best have been collected into the 21st-century hymnal, comprising 645 songs.

It’s no wonder that those unaware of the circumstances would be astonished by such hymns, casually adapted and poured out.

[······!!]

And it wasn’t just humans who felt a culture shock in the face of two thousand years of history and hymn prayers five hundred years ahead of their time.

Who is this odd one, reciting prayers in a strange tongue, only to find such glorious hymns?

The Holy Spirit, seeking Ray, found itself unwittingly swaying to the endless praises of Lord Soltera and the spirited hymns.

Even the Holy Spirit, matching the rhythm, danced along to the verified two thousand years of history!

After four more hours of continuous hymn prayers, the Holy Spirit joyfully emitted a brilliant holy power before Ray.

‘What, what is this?!’

Ray was startled by the Spirit’s actions, but soon surrendered to the warm comfort that permeated through.

The hymn naturally ceased, and a radiant divine power suffused and illuminated Rei’s entire being.

“It’s the blessing of the Holy Spirit!”

“Incredible! To witness the moment the Holy Spirit bestows a blessing!”

Priests and nuns were spellbound by the sight.

A sacred scene of a hymn and prayer unheard of in life, where the Holy Spirit grants a blessing.

Some shed tears, while others quietly knelt and closed their eyes.

When the blessing of the Holy Spirit ended, and everyone realized the Spirit had departed,

Rei became aware of the nature of the blessing that had permeated him.

‘The power of hymns?!’

An unexpected second manifestation of power.

***

After a long eleven-hour prayer relay, Rei collapsed, as if all strength had drained from his body.

Rei’s first power, ‘The Sun’s Blessing,’ works even at night, but he had prayed aloud for eleven hours without a sip of water.

Severe dehydration hit him all at once.

“Brother!”

“Brother!”

Clergy and candidates rushed from all directions.

As everyone looked at Rei with concern, a water bottle was handed to him with a thud.

“Drink slowly.”

It was a priest who had handed him the bottle.

“Oh, thank you.”

Rei expressed his gratitude with a voice cracked from dehydration.

After drinking the water slowly to avoid upset, Sister Isabella, the abbess, handed him bread.

“Chew it well. You could get sick.”

“Ah, thank you, Mother Superior.”

“The Holy Spirit has blessed you, brother. Have you noticed any changes?”

“Ah, that is…”

Rei recalled the moment the Holy Spirit had blessed him.

A tremendous divine power had seeped into his body, and it had taken shape as a power—a different sensation from when he absorbed sins and elevated virtues.

“Hymns… It seems like a power that can boost the spirits of those around me when I sing hymns.”

The priests and nuns around were astonished at Rei’s answer.

“Good heavens!”

“Power? And the power of praise, no less!”

“You wouldn’t be out of place joining the Solarion Choir right away!”

The Solarion Choir, led by Mother Superior Isabella, symbolizes success in a different sense.

It was a choir endowed with the power to purify the profane, strengthen soldiers, and bless those around them.

But that was a story applicable only to the choir leaders.

The regular choir members merely amplified the powers of the leader-level members.

In other words, if Rei were to join the Solarion Choir, he would immediately ascend to a leader-level position.

“Brother Rei. Have you considered joining the choir?”

Mother Superior Isabella, who held such a position, made the offer.

Rei, sensing the importance of the position from the commotion around him, found it contrary to his goals.

‘If I join the choir, I’ll have to operate only within the church nation. Then, collecting sins will become difficult.’

Rei’s goal to join the Eclipse was due to the heresy interrogation characteristic of the Eclipse.

He had gained power even after killing just one magician.

Hunting the many heretics who had accumulated sins was the only way to escape from the evil spirits.

Especially since Rei was not a true believer of the Sun Order, making it difficult to accumulate divine power.

Still, outright refusal could scratch the pride of the higher-ups, so he found a suitable answer.

“My hometown was annihilated by the wicked tricks of a magician. Since then, I’ve resolved to fight to purify the evil in this world.”

Even if that meant walking a thorny path in the shadows without a glimpse of the sunlight.

“Oh my!”

“Such steadfast faith!”

“Your will is so firm, Brother Rei, I can no longer insist. Brother Rei Anderson, I will pray for your path of faith.”

As Mother Superior Isabella began to pray, the surrounding priests also started to pray.

Their prayers, based on a firm misunderstanding, were filled with blessings for Rei’s journey on the difficult path he had chosen.

‘Praying like that, and now more prayers? Just send me home…’

He just wanted to go back and sleep.

***

The announcement of the audition results was swift.

Thanks to an indisputable decision, he was named the top candidate.

From the entrance exam, the top ten passers, starting with the first seat.

All but these ten begin as the lowest pilgrims of the institution.

“Mackenzie of the 10th seat, Rose Convent. Rona of the 9th seat, Male Cathedral.”

The Archbishop’s voice announcing the passers echoes through the hall.

Archbishop Dunwell, surpassing sixty this year, still had a voice robust and resonant.

“Aaron Graham of the second seat, Central Diocese.”

Aaron ascends the stage.

Among just over a hundred passers, his rank was second, yet his expression was far from satisfied.

Because he, who had believed himself a shoo-in for the first seat, was brutally defeated by a deacon from an unknown rural corner.

‘What on earth happened? What occurred at the prayer meeting to cause such a stir?’

Aaron, who had been eliminated seven hours before Ray, was unaware of the events at the prayer meeting.

“First seat, Deacon Ray Anderson of Obelo Cathedral.”

As Ray’s name is called, the young man slowly ascends the stage.

Ray bows his head as he receives the top entrant certificate from Archbishop Dunwell.

“With these outstanding scores, the head of the institution grants gifts by his authority to the newly inducted members.”

Then, four guards bring up a heavy chest from below the stage.

So heavy that four robust men had to carry it together, the chest was covered with silk.

“What is this?”

“The ‘relics’ given to the top passers.”

“Relics?”

“Relics?!”

The passers murmur among themselves.

It was the same for the top passers.

To bestow relics upon the members who had just joined?

A relic is a precious object endowed with its own holy power.

From the brass stars placed in each cathedral to the brass star necklaces given to priests upon ordination.

And not to mention the holy scriptures imprinted with sacred oil or the weapons once wielded by saints and martyrs.

The types of relics varied, but all were undeniably precious.

Especially for the armed members of the Eclipse, the importance of relics goes without saying.

“How envious…”

“To start off with a sacred relic in hand. Truly, the brothers and sisters here are blessed with good fortune.”

“It’s a relic that you can’t even buy in the black market…”

Bathed in everyone’s envy, the outstanding passers stood before the massive storage.

And as the silk cover was unveiled, gasps of awe erupted.

“All of these…”

“Are these relics?”

“Good heavens! They really are relics! I can feel their power!”

“Are they really giving away such treasures without any conditions!”

Inside the storage, dozens of relics were neatly secured.

Swords, spears, shields, whips, and axes… and also specially processed brass star necklaces and boots that make one’s steps as light as a breeze.

These were the miraculous products that could only be created by the overflowing divine power and blessings of the Solarien Church State.

Watching the members realize the church’s majesty, the priests wore satisfied expressions.

Even though they were devoted to the clergy, they couldn’t completely abandon secular emotions.

Just showing them was enough to serve as a great motivation.

The real purpose of the award ceremony was to give them a little nudge, hoping they too would want to possess such relics someday.

‘Of course, it’s also a significant support for the excellent brothers and sisters.’

“Now, it’s time to choose. Let’s start with the top passer, Brother Ray Anderson.”

“Gah…!”

Aaron hid his frustrated demeanor as Ray, being the top passer, got to choose a relic first.

He had already decided what he wanted to receive at this relic award ceremony.

If Ray recognized and chose it, there would be no greater disappointment.

‘Please, just don’t choose the sword. Any but the sword.’

The holy sword Ashurad.

A replica of the holy sword used by Saint Jonathan to slay the dragon.

A masterpiece created by the church state, incorporating the latest technology to recreate the Dragon Slayer.

Though not as much as the original, it was a sword that even the armed clergy couldn’t easily obtain.

Among the relics included in this award ceremony, it was of a different caliber.

Aaron prayed that Ray wouldn’t recognize its value.

“Hmm… All are fine items.”

“Have you made up your mind? Brother Ray?”

Without hesitation, Rei responded to the Archbishop’s question.

“Yes, there is only one relic I desire.”

Rei’s finger slowly rose.

All eyes turned to the finger of the top-ranking candidate.

“Hm?”

“Wait, what is he pointing at right now?”

Amidst the brimming questions.

Rei flashed a confident smile.